Charges against two Somali-Americans have revealed an investigation stretching from Minnesota to Somalia. It raises questions about the reach of militant Islam and the reach of al Qaeda. Also, a Senate Committee approves the healthcare reform bill, and the split in the Anglican church widens on the issue of ordaining gay and lesbian bishops.

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Charges against two Somali-Americans have revealed an investigation stretching from Minnesota to Somalia. It raises questions about the reach of militant Islam and the reach of al Qaeda. Also, a Senate Committee approves the healthcare reform bill, and America's Episcopal Church has ended a moratorium on ordaining gay and lesbian bishops. What will that men to Anglicans worldwide?

Banner image: Somali soldiers celebrate after capturing a stronghold of Islamic militants in Sinay district in Mogadishu Somalia on July 12. Photo: Mohamed Dahir/AFP/Getty Images

Some 20 American citizens, some with middle class aspirations, have joined a terrorist group in their native Somalia. Two have been shot dead, one a suicide bomber, and at least 15 others have disappeared. Two more have been indicted in federal court in Minnesota, charged with providing support for terrorists and conspiracy to “kill, kidnap, maim or injure” people in foreign countries. Federal authorities say they're just part of a major investigation which became public on Monday of this week. Will Somalia be a breeding ground for international terror? Is al Qaeda exploiting a failed state? Will other naturalized Americans be vulnerable to militant Islam?

Health reform proposals are moving in both houses of Congress but partisan differences could still prevent a bill from reaching the President's desk. Jeffrey Young covers health care issues for The Hill, which reports on the Congress.